You can’t change who you are, personalities matter

I have joined “Talent Analytics” with co-owner Greta Roberts and co-owner Pasha Roberts as a Data Scientist.

Predictive HR analytics is a way to change some of the bad things that I’ve seen over the last couple of decades in companies around the world. It is no longer acceptable to look only at the metrics of a person’s previous employment because time has shown you can’t imply anything about their potential success in that role from the jobs they have had before. Their previous job may have been out of necessity or “just a job” as they say now, meaning, they may not have even liked the role they were in… Now, how happy do you think they were, did they give 100%? I have seen employees come in late repeatedly and end up getting fired for attendance even though they were an exceptional employee, their reasoning….. late night movie buff! Now wouldn’t them coming in later in the morning been a better solution than termination? Personality doesn’t change if you’re a person that likes to stay up late then an early-morning job is probably not the best for you, and if you’re an early riser then night shift probably is not the best fit for you. If you are a manager but don’t have the right skillset, then you probably will chase off lots of great employees, how productive is that?

Talent Analytics and their predictive product actually use the personality and behavioral trait of a person to calculate success, and no, not like your Father’s Myers Briggs…. I took the proprietary survey and the results confirmed what I already knew about myself, if only in a whisper lol… I am logic driven, very curious and like change, I also have issues with some authority, for those that have worked with me, you know I am not a “yes man” and mundane tasks that bore me get pushed aside very quickly so something repetitive would not have been a good job choice for me now would it? But its’s really about “who I am”, the traits that make me and all of us, unique..

I think Greta and Pasha have a wonderful product and it’s my pleasure to have joined their staff I hope all of human resources finally stops this vicious cycle of doing HR the old way, the wrong way, the way that doesn’t work, and decide to use predictive analytics to reduce churn and increase retention. Finding the right person for the job has never been more important due to cost associate with pre-hire and training besides the cost of benefits including healthcare are too great to pick the wrong employee. So take a look at Talent analytics and you’ll see why I decided to join them, they’ve got a great product, they’re a great company and they have talented owners… I think you’ll like them too!!

The below is from Predictive Analytics World

Present Your Case Studies

Predictive Analytics World provides speakers the opportunity to present predictive analytics case studies, deployment successes and lessons learned. At this event, potential consumers of predictive analytics witness proof demonstrating it’s more than just a bunch of great ideas – predictive analytics is actively applied to optimize many business functions across industry verticals. And predictive analytics practitioners have the opportunity to gain from the lessons you’ve learned, whether by serendipity, or – more likely – the hard way.

Evaluation – how well did it work? Case study proposals will be given highest consideration if specific measurements of deployment performance are included, especially when measured in comparison to a control group.

“The past two decades have seen a huge surge of women taking on key roles in the world of emerging technology. When we decided to put together this list, we were thrilled to discover dozens of outstanding candidates, and we have picked the top 25 female thought-leaders, champions, and innovators in the field.”

Thank you so much for including me with such great Women In Technology and Business!

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. have changed the way we search, communicate with friends and family and how we react and share disasters, tragedies, milestones and interests. The good side of this is, in my opinion, is that we can talk to people around the world that we would never have met if not for social media. We also get news in real time since Tweeters post “events” complete with pics as they happen, heck even CNN has iReporters. Social platforms like Twitter and Facebook have also been part of social unrest and flash mobs, and #hashtags like #Ferguson #Michael Brown and #YesAllWomen – don’t forget movements like anonymous, who added more anonymity to the mix; threats, revelations and public protest complete with anonymous masks, showed that people were tired of all the BS and wouldn’t stand for it any longer.

But, there is also the “anti-social side”, what do I mean by this? Well, have you walked into a restaurant lately? Heck; you don’t even have to go inside, just watching people in their cars and walking with their smartphones in hand, looking down as if the world only existed in this little box. We sit at the dinner table and instead of talking, we’re on Twitter, Facebook, Google plus, etc. Chatting about the weather and what is going on in the world, you know all the stuff we used to do face to face! We now have arguments on Twitter with complete strangers, in fact, there have been studies tying stress to social media “Negative Tweets Associated With Stress, Higher Risk Of Disease”

Negative Tweets Associated With Stress, Higher Risk Of Disease

Other articles point to an indirect relationship and technology itself. “The relationship between stress and social media use is indirect. It is the social uses of digital technologies, and the way they increase awareness of distressing events in others’ lives, that explains how the use of social media can result in users feeling more stress.”

So, as we step into the next phase of social, the internet of things or #IoT as it is also known, we continue to tie our lives and security via the internet and specifically social media. We pump massive amounts of our time and data into these platforms and as time marches on, we see the implications of this, breaches, misinformation and scams, but also love connections, jobs attained by doing something cool that goes viral (who would have thought going viral would get you a job?) – Nations show they care when something happens or someone needs help (Trapped in a blizzard on the side of a mountain in New Mexico. Waiting on the police to convoy us to a church. https://twitter.com/sugarrae/status/547488171970535424)

In conclusion, as we stare mindlessly into our smartphones and computers, continue to engage and be involved with others online but look up every once in a while and remember, your loved ones are right there and they need attention too! Be social but don’t forget to smell the roses along the way!

If you really want to show your support, do business with us! If the next generation of young women are to be inspired they must see us “working” in our fields and accomplishing great things. We are not victims, we add value and drive success!

So my #IBMInsight experience is coming to a close, my brain is full, my feet are tired but my analytical spidey senses are tingling and my hope for the future of #Bigdata analytics is restored! I’m not sure which one was my favorite, each time I left a session or a keynote I thought, this one was the best EVER but then I would attend the next one and come out thinking the same thing WOW!!!

So, 1st I have to say hats off to the IBM marketing team for throwing a KICK ASS event and then I want to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart – Watson Oncology – after I wiped away the tears, I thought about the loved ones I have lost to cancer and how this technology could have made a difference but the time wasn’t right THEN…. Fortunately, the time IS right now! A little more about Watson oncology:

The challenge

According to one expert, only 20 percent of the knowledge physicians use to diagnose and treat patients today is evidence based. Which means that one in five diagnoses is incorrect or incomplete.

And consider that the amount of medical information available is doubling every five years and that much of this data is unstructured. Physicians simply don’t have time to read every journal that can help them keep up to date with the latest advances. Given the growing complexity of medical decision making, how can healthcare providers address these problems?

Solution

Watson has the potential to transform healthcare research, how medical students learn and how payments are processed.

Physicians can use Watson to assist in diagnosing and treating patients by having it analyze large amounts of unstructured text and develop hypotheses based on that analysis.

First, the physician might describe symptoms and other related factors to the system. Watson can then identify the key pieces of information and mine the patient’s data to find relevant facts about family history, current medications and other existing conditions. It combines this information with current findings from tests, and then forms and tests hypotheses by examining a variety of data sources—treatment guidelines, electronic medical record data and doctors’ and nurses’ notes, as well as peer-reviewed research and clinical studies. From here, Watson can provide potential treatment options and its confidence rating for each suggestion.

The 2nd BIG Announcement was from IBM and Twitter -> A partnership that will take us all to the next level in social analytics and targets/trends…. The example Twitter’s own Chris Moody gave was a business that sell fryers for restaurants – they wanted to talk to Twitter about doing business, the guys from Twitter were like, not sure what we can do for you but the business guy said, oh yes, what about Tweets about soggy fries? Soggy fries…. Well think about it, when someone complains about soggy fries that correlates to the equipment not working properly, duh right? So it was a huge surprise when IBM’s Ginni Rometty & Dick Costolo announced the landmark alliance between @ibm and @twitter #ibminsight #IBMandTwitter

The collaboration will focus on three areas:

Integration of Twitter data with IBM analytics services on the cloud: IBM plans to offer Twitter data as part of select cloud-based services, including IBM Watson Analytics, a new cognitive service in the palm of your hand that brings intuitive visualization and predictive capabilities to business users; and a cloud-based data refinery service that enables application developers to embed data services in applications. Entrepreneurs and software developers will also be able to integrate Twitter data into new cloud services they are building with IBM’s Watson Developer Cloud or IBM Bluemix platform-as-a-service.

New data-intensive capabilities for the enterprise: IBM and Twitter will deliver a set of enterprise applications to help improve business decisions across industries and professions. The first joint solution will integrate Twitter data with IBM ExperienceOne customer engagement solutions, allowing sales, marketing, and customer service professionals to map sentiment and behavior to better engage and support their customers.

Specialized enterprise consulting: IBM Global Business Services professionals will have access to Twitter data to enrich consulting services for clients across business. Additionally, IBM and Twitter will collaborate to develop unique solutions for specific industries such as banking, consumer products, retail, and travel and transportation. The partnership will draw upon the skills of tens of thousands of IBM Global Business Services consultants and application professionals including consultants from the industry’s only integrated Strategy and Analytics practice, and IBM Interactive Experience, the world’s largest digital agency.

“Twitter provides a powerful new lens through which to look at the world – as both a platform for hundreds of millions of consumers and business professionals, and as a synthesizer of trends,” said Ginni Rometty, IBM Chairman, President and CEO. “This partnership, drawing on IBM’s leading cloud-based analytics platform, will help clients enrich business decisions with an entirely new class of data. This is the latest example of how IBM is reimagining work.”

My 3rd exciting event was the No Doubt concert, now normally I’m not the concert kinda girl, my OCD and germ issues usually keep me away but NOT THIS time! Rocken with “The #IBMInsight band” before the concert with Kevin, Lillian, Bryan and a few others (see our Twitter pics and feeds using the hashtag #IBMInsight) then the best concert EVER…. Side note, I was having lunch – I looked over and there was No Doubt! That made my event!

So to wrap things up, if you are thinking about attending a big data event for 2014, you need to check out IBM Insight 2015, you won’t regret and you won’t walk away feeling like you wasted your time (like a lot of these events) – I was never under whelmed with the speakers and I leave here knowing that the future is indeed bright and data CAN make a difference!

I was so excited to receive this email from the IBM Insight Committee -> “You’ve been selected as part of a small set of key influencers to lead the conversation around how data and analytics are driving decisions, fueling processes, and informing interactions. Along with conference host Jake Porway (@jakeporway), you’ll be joining your peers for the most exclusive “behind the ropes” look at how the transformative role of data is inspiring a global network of individuals and societies to discover new possibilities.”

It’s not every day you are invited to participate in the IBM Insight Event so it was quite an honor, the most exciting part is being part of “IMO” the biggest data events of the year! Just looking at the list of big data and data scientist talent gets me all giddy (yes, I’m a data nerd, LOL)

The Insight curriculum is aligned to three programs that encompass 15+ tracks which help frame sessions and content throughout the event:
#1 We get to enjoy and be witness to some of the latest advancements in analytics strategies, from business intelligence, data discovery and predictive analytics to performance management and risk analytics – #2 Really excited about the way they set this up – learning how to manage a growing diversity of incoming information and extract value for deep insight, enhanced customer experience and business growth. – and lastly (but a biggie in my opinion) #3 We will explore how big data is used to build a modern information management architecture while becoming more agile, efficient and competitive. EXCITING

For me, my interest these days are in “wearable electronics” – think about the huge amounts of data this is going to create and the implication of its uses. Being that my parents are older, I worry about their health and one way “wearable electronics” can assist is in heart rate analysis – I am super excited for a product to come out so they can monitor their heartbeat and maybe even have it call 911 if needed, wishing, I think not! But, of course everything has its down side as well, my second thought was….. security…. if and when this is completely integrated into our lives will someone be able to hack this info and sell it to doctors and hospitals/insurance companies….etc… Oy’ the horror but welcome to the 21st century, where ever there is good, there is also bad! In my opinion if “wearable technology” can wake someone with “sleep apnea” or save a baby from crib death or yes, even get an ambulance to my house really fast when needed, if we can save one life, it is worth it! What a great time to be alive. See you in VEGAS, Big Data ROCKS 🙂

I was reading an article about the purchase of Mojang, entitled “Entrepreneur Who Just Became A Billionaire Writes Extraordinary Letter About Leaving His Company To Save His Sanity” and this line caught my eye -> “I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.” – http://www.businessinsider.com/minecraft-creator-markus-notch-persson-is-leaving-mojang-2014-9 and then it hit me, I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m a data nerd who loves to help companies glean insight from their data. I’m no good at sales, hell, I give away more that I sell and I give breaks to companies that can’t afford me but give them 150%. BUT as some of you read, I just let my biggest client go, why?

I quit the “corporate” world in 2011 to open my own business, I was tired of sitting in meetings thinking to myself “jezzzz, just pull it out already and see whose is bigger” – Time waste and a mental drain, I felt, anything I said would have to be repeated by a man for it to be taken seriously. So, I took the plunge with a positive attitude and 15 years of data experience behind me, how could I loss? The clients came and went, data paraded in front of me endlessly as I took on more and more with less and less companies having the hourly fee I deserved, I guest blogged for free, I wrote white papers and shared at no cost. Then last week, I realized people were taking as much as I would give but was I being a fool or did they appreciate everything I did? I have a tendency to act abruptly and on emotions instead of facts (go figure huh) so I gave it a few days, looked through unanswered emails, read correspondences between me and my clients….. Yes, I was being a fool, instead of doing what I loved, I was doing what my clients wanted.

Fast forward to today, did I cut off my nose to spite my face, maybe but… now, I can go back to doing what I love and charging what I want…. the clients will be far and few between but I will have my sanity and self-respect back and that is worth more than money! For all those that want to start your own data science businesses, never back away from your principles and the fact that you are worth every penny you charge but have a little saved up for those rainy days! Data science may be the most talked about trend in data and it may be sexy but companies are slow to open the purse strings until ROI and value added are proven and not just talked about.

There are some great lists out there to follow for Data Science and Technology – Check out a few I have been honored to be listed on – Please feel free to check out everyone on these lists, some really great folks out there!

I appreciate all the mentions and inclusions to these lists and WOW, I’m in great company!

Lastly, this is not a list but some advice -> “An understanding of math is important,” he says, “but equally important is understanding the research. Understanding why you are using a particular type of math is more important than understanding the math itself.”http://www.wired.com/2013/04/phd-data-scientist/

I was recently interviewed by Software Advice for an article about women in STEM fields and in this case specifically about business intelligence. As they stated in the article it is difficult to break into a predominately male field but don’t let that discourage you! There are many women who have done just that and very successfully I might add. So, thanks to Alan S. Horowitz and his crew for the honor of being included in their blog 4 Women Leading the Way in Business Intelligence Excerpt -> “Though clearly hard to break into, technology can be a highly attractive field for women, as it provides a much greater opportunity to stand out than other industries” From Irene Lewis at Software Advice “Your insight into the industry and your expertise in navigating it is inspiring to men and women alike. And thank you for tweeting it out!” Thanks Software Advice and Best Wishes in all you do! Since not every detail was specific, I wanted to add a bit about myself for those that would like to know more, after reading the above article of course ;o) Being a single mother of two sons was a challenge but no one has ever accused me of backing down from a challenge, eager to learn and grow, I entered the University of Tennessee in the spring of 1993. I worked in the Developmental Math Lab my entire tenure with the University of Tennessee, assisting students with all levels of mathematics. Upon graduating with a double major, Applied Mathematics and Economics in 1998, I moved to the Chicago area to start my career in analytics. During the past 16 years, I have worked with many Fortune 100 and 500 companies including but not limited to, Discover Financial Services, J&J, Hershey, Kraft, Kellogg’s, SCJ, McNeil and Firestone, Tandus Worldwide, Terenine and even thought they are not Fortune companies, both the University of Chicago and the University of Tennessee. Acting as a liaison between the IT department and the Executive staff, I am able to take huge complicated databases, decipher business needs and come back with intelligence that quantifies spending, profit and trends. Being called a data nerd is a badge of courage for this curious Mathematician/Economist because knowledge is power and companies are now acknowledging its importance. Data, what can it do for you today? Specialties: * Comprehensive Customer Satisfaction and Retention Analysis, * Brand Research & Competitive Analysis, * Employee Retention Research, * Survey Creation & Analysis (New Product and Branding), * Database creation and mining, * Social Media & Coupon, Incentive Promotions, * Project Management (Scrum Certified) * Social Media Marketing * Statistical concepts to solve business challenges. * Advanced knowledge of data warehousing. * Target Audience Analysis * Predictive modeling, forecasting, and data mining. * Develop data strategy, analysis, objectives and business requirements So, as you see, a woman can succeed in a “MAN’S” world, good luck ladies! If you’d like to see more check me out on LinkedIn at